Louth
Tiny service town on the Darling River
Located 132 km north of Cobar and 836 km northwest of Sydney, Louth is a tiny and insignificant little settlement on the banks of the Darling River which was established in 1859 when T.A. Matthews built a pub to cater for the passing river and land-based trade. Louth was also a stopover on the Cobb & Co run and Matthews' son was a noted driver for the coaching firm. Today it has a population of under 50 and, for most of the year, is a sleepy little hamlet. So what is so special about this place?

In 1959 a man named Bob Horten decided to form the Louth Turf Club and to hold an annual race meeting on the first Saturday after the August Bank Holiday. The first meeting was primitive. The toilets were made of corrugated iron and the horses were stabled in the open. Thirty years later, in 1989, over 60 horses came to the event, there were over 24 bookmakers, and the turnover was $294 000. In the interim the lowly Turf Club had enjoyed such success that they had installed electric starting stalls and a photo-finish machine, the prize money exceeding $31 000, and the event had become so popular that the local airfield usually played host to upwards of fifty aeroplanes.

Apart from the races the town has little appeal. In 1888 the Dunlop property to the south of the town became the first sheep station in the world to use mechanical shears. So important was the event (it was a true revolution in sheep shearing) that the shearing shed was visited by the Governor of New South Wales.

Things to see:  

Robyn White Writes
Taking exception to our description of Louth, Robyn White who lives in the town wrote the following eulogy:

There are lots of fabulous things about Louth, including but not limited to:

- Bob Carr isn't pushing unwanted unit developments down our throats

- The crime rate is low

- There are no terrorist warnings pending for our New Year's celebrations

- Everyone in town is friendly

- Beer at the pub costs at least as much as it does in Sydney's ritzy clubs (so visitors will feel at home)

- The local pub sells the best chips for at least 100km.

There is also a national treasure stored at Louth. There is a headstone in our cemetery that catches the light of the setting sun and reflects it through town. On the birthday of the occupant, the reflected light lands on the front door of the house in which she lived.

	Hotels
	Shindy's Inn Bloxham St Louth NSW 2840 Telephone: (02) 6874 7422
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	The Old Post Office B&B Bloxham St Louth NSW 2840 Telephone: (02) 6874 7362 Facsimile: (02) 6874 7778 Email: dr.white@bigpond.com
	Trilby Station Louth NSW 2840 Telephone: (02) 6874 7420 Facsimile: (02) 6874 7395 Email: trilbystation@bigpond.com
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Trilby Station Louth NSW 2840 Telephone: (02) 6874 7420 Facsimile: (02) 6874 7395 Email: trilbystation@bigpond.com
	Restaurants
	Shindy's Inn Bloxham St Louth NSW 2840 Telephone: (02) 6874 7422